The latest investment is part of the Welsh firm's continued growth, following last year's management buyout (PrintWeek, 13 June 2003).

Pensord commercial director Darren Coxon said that Shuttleworth was selected because it was the best fit for the company's business.

Coxon said the Shuttleworth MIS would enable the business to integrate all its internal systems.

"The main reason for the installation was to enable everyone to talk to each other," he said.

The installations forms part of the firm's plans to create a JDF workflow across the business, with Shuttleworth at its core.

The MIS would bring about new working methods, which would allow the firm to assess its machinery, and also make decisions about future investments.

Coxon said the plan was to eventually link with its Heidelberg Prinect CP2000 workflow, once the Shuttleworth MIS was fully implemented, which he envisaged would be by February next year.

He said the firm's latest and second Heidelberg SM102-8P eight unit perfector was also now running at full capacity, less than two months after its installation.

The press was installed at the Blackwood plant back mid-July this year, and has increased Pensord's capacity by around 40%.

Story by Andy Scott